House Bill 2273

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    Florida House of Representatives - 1999                HB 2273

        By Representative Johnson






  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to the Oklawaha Basin

  3         Recreation and Water Conservation and Control

  4         Authority, Lake County; amending chapter 29222,

  5         Laws of Florida, 1953, as amended; changing the

  6         name of the authority to the Lake County Water

  7         Conservation Authority; increasing the number

  8         of members of the board of trustees from three

  9         to five; requiring that members be elected in

10         nonpartisan elections conducted by the county

11         supervisor of elections in accordance with the

12         Florida Election Code; requiring that each

13         member reside in a different county commission

14         district of Lake County; changing the terms of

15         board members, to conform; providing for

16         transition; prohibiting any board member from

17         serving as executive director of the authority;

18         changing the number of board members required

19         to constitute a quorum, to conform; providing

20         for certification of millage to the county

21         property appraiser for assessment; providing

22         severability; providing an effective date.

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24  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

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26         Section 1.  Sections 2, 4, 6, and 9(b) of chapter

27  29222, Laws of Florida, 1953, as amended, are amended to read:

28         Section 2.  That for the purposes of (1) controlling

29  and conserving the fresh water resources of Lake County; (2)

30  fostering and improving the tourist business in the county by

31  improvements to the streams, lakes, and canals in the county;

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    Florida House of Representatives - 1999                HB 2273

    717-107-99






  1  (3) providing recreational facilities for the tourists and

  2  citizens and taxpayers of the county by a more efficient use

  3  of the streams, lakes, and canals in the county; and (4)

  4  preserving, protecting, and improving the fish and wildlife of

  5  the county, there is hereby created and incorporated a special

  6  taxing district extending territorially throughout the present

  7  limits of Lake County, Florida. The district shall be known

  8  and designated as "The Lake County Water Conservation

  9  Authority Oklawaha Basin Recreation and Water Conservation and

10  Control Authority in Lake County," but shall hereafter in this

11  Act, for convenience, be referred to as "the Authority."

12         Section 4.  That a governing body for the Authority is

13  hereby created, consisting of five three members who are

14  residents of Lake County, Florida, each of whom shall reside

15  in a geographic area identical to a County Commission District

16  not resided in by any other member, which body shall be known

17  and designated as the "Board of Trustees of the Lake County

18  Water Conservation Authority Oklawaha Basin recreation and

19  water conservation and control authority in Lake county," but

20  which shall hereinafter, be referred to as "the Board." The

21  members of the Board shall be elected by the voters of Lake

22  County in nonpartisan elections conducted by the supervisor of

23  elections pursuant to section 189.405, Florida Statutes, in

24  accordance with the Florida Election Code, chapters 97 through

25  106, Florida Statutes, beginning with the general election in

26  November of 2000, for terms of four years, beginning on the

27  second Tuesday following the general election in which the

28  member is elected. For purposes of staggering terms, the two

29  additional Board members shall be elected to initial terms of

30  two years and shall reside in geographic areas identical to

31  County Commission Districts in which current Board members do

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    Florida House of Representatives - 1999                HB 2273

    717-107-99






  1  not reside. Current Board members shall serve until the

  2  expiration of their terms or until their successors are

  3  elected, whichever occurs sooner. Thereafter, all terms of

  4  Board members shall be four years. However, in the period of

  5  transition from appointed to elected members, the Governor may

  6  appoint a member to fill any vacancy on the Board resulting

  7  from the term of any of the three current appointees expiring

  8  if that seat would be vacant for more than 2 months prior to

  9  the November 2000 general election. At the first meeting in

10  December of each year, the Board shall elect appointed by the

11  governor and confirmed by the senate of the state of Florida,

12  and shall hold office for four years; provided, that in

13  appointing the members of the first board, the governor shall

14  appoint the members for the following terms, to-wit: one

15  member for a two-year term, one member for a three-year term,

16  and one member for a four-year term, and thereafter each

17  member shall be appointed for a four-year term. Immediately

18  upon their appointment and in January of each succeeding year

19  the members of the board shall meet and select one of their

20  number as Chairman and one as Vice Chairman of the Board. The

21  Clerk of the Circuit Court of Lake County, Florida, shall act

22  as Secretary and Treasurer of the Board without any additional

23  compensation. In the event the provision pertaining to the

24  duties of the Clerk of the Circuit Court is for any reason

25  held to be invalid, the Board may select one of its members to

26  serve as its Secretary and Treasurer, or it may appoint a

27  non-member of the Board as its Secretary and Treasurer, and

28  such member of non-member shall receive compensation

29  commensurate with the duties and responsibilities as

30  determined by the Board. The Board shall may select one of its

31  members or a non-member to serve as Executive a Director of

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    Florida House of Representatives - 1999                HB 2273

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  1  the Authority, and such member or non-member shall receive

  2  compensation commensurate with the responsibilities as

  3  determined by the Board. In the event of the appointment of a

  4  member of the board as director, he shall not be entitled to

  5  receive pay "per diem" as compensation for his services except

  6  as provided in section 8 of this act. The Board shall require

  7  a surety bond of any person, including the Clerk of the

  8  Circuit Court, who shall act as Secretary and Treasurer of the

  9  Board, in an amount to be fixed by the Board, which bond in

10  the case of the appointment of the Clerk of the Circuit Court

11  or a member of the Board shall be in addition to the bond

12  furnished by such person him as Clerk of the Circuit Court or

13  as a member of the Board, and the premium thereon shall be

14  paid by the Board as a necessary expense of operation.

15         Section 6.  That three two members of the Board shall

16  constitute a quorum for the transaction of business, and a

17  majority vote of all members present shall be necessary in

18  order to authorize any action by the Board. The Chairman shall

19  be entitled to vote on all questions.

20         Section 9(b).  Each year a budget shall be prepared by

21  the Authority Oklawaha basin recreation and water conservation

22  and control authority in Lake County, and a millage sufficient

23  to meet the budget within the provisions of law shall be

24  certified to the board of county commissioners of Lake County

25  Property Appraiser for assessment.

26         Section 2.  If any provision of this act or the

27  application thereof to any person or circumstance is held

28  invalid, the invalidity shall not affect other provisions or

29  applications of the act which can be given effect without the

30  invalid provision or application, and to this end the

31  provisions of this act are declared severable.

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    Florida House of Representatives - 1999                HB 2273

    717-107-99






  1         Section 3.  This act shall take effect upon becoming a

  2  law.

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